Brian T. Lees products: page 1

The climax of a magic trick can only last a few minutes. But the build up can take a lot more time. The "sizzle" created by the magician adds drama, mystery and builds the element of surprise. This ebook covers sizzle. What it is, when it is needed, when to use it, and how to work with it.

• What is sizzle?
• When to use sizzle
• Creating sizzle
• Automate yourself
• Timing
• Wrapping it up

1st edition 2016, 15 pages.

Senior centers can be a strong market. They already practice social distancing and are anxious for fresh entertainment. This text identifies changes for these types of show, contact goals when speaking with the Activity Director, and follow-up activities to entice future bookings.

• Preface
• The audience
• The activity director
• The budget
• Contact
• Performance
• Follow-up
• Wrapping it up

A major portion of the audience's experience involves the environment. Their enjoyment can be pleasurable or highly distracted by the area they are given to watch you. This text covers the importance of the performing environment from both the stage and audience perspectives. It goes into details that need to be discussed before the room is set up. It covers many areas most magicians take for granted.

• Seating
• Staff
• Performance Area
• Sound
• Flow Path
• Emergencies
• Get Ahead of Set Up
• Meet and Greet
• Wrapping it Up

1st edition 2016, 20 pages.

A primer to help organize clusters of magic into a professional show. Rate your magic in terms of entertainment factor and establish a flow that moves your performance from show opening to close. Learn the reasons larger and smaller magic are blended into a performance. Then learn how to use these various waves to slowly build your audience to that big "wow" finish successful magicians close with.

• Show Components
• Mechanics
• Inventory
• Flow
• Music
• Produce Your Show
• Specialty Shows
• Documentation/Backup
• Wrapping It Up

1st edition 2016, 27 pages.

"I used to do that trick many years ago. I just cannot remember how it went but the audience loved it." Have you heard that before? Everyone has files. We keep records of bill payments, taxes, bank statements and a bunch of other important information. Why would your magic be any different?

This ebook identifies the importance of keeping back up information on your magic. It offers suggestions on a file system that includes text, binders and DVD sources. Armed with this system you could bring back any magic that you have done in the past. Use your files to determine what has changed, what...

Sponge balls pack small and play as big as your imagination allows. Learn basic manipulations and routines. Use as close-up, walk around, with volunteers during your show or on the spot. This ebook gets you well on your way with some of the classic manipulations.

• What makes magic work
• Why sponge
• Palm vanish
• Place vanish
• Complete the vanish
• Classic pass
• Color change
• Pass through
• Change bag
• Classic 3 ball routine
• No sponge
• Wrapping it up

1st edition 2016, 22 pages.

Businesses have to promote themselves, even through the pandemic. Media today is extremely expensive and sponsorship is a very attractive alternative for them. The impact and long-range potentials are a win/win situation for both the business and the magician. This ebook gets you started with sponsors and identifies the "hot spots" you need to mention as you speak with them.

• Business Basics
• Basic Marketing
• Sponsors
• Sources to Consider
• Approaches
• Calendar and Files
• Wrapping it Up

1st edition 2021, PDF 20 pages.

Sponsors are one of the most powerful assets a magician can have. Sponsorship can be one of the strongest marketing activities for a business. The interactive potentials with the audience enhance the exposure, and compared to other media, they can get higher results. This ebook identifies the benefits of sponsorship, introduces ways to approach businesses and provides ideas for ongoing support. The organization wanting a show may not have the funds to hire you. If the audience appeals to your sponsor, the sponsor will pay your invoice, and you can perform for the hosting organization at no charge....

Everyone gets nervous before they begin their performance. Those who say they don't are lying. The degree of stage fright is different, but everyone experiences it. There are tips of the trade that many professionals use to work through it. Some are physical and others mental. Combined they can help you control the pressures stage fright can have on you. This text shares a few of those tips. It provides a detailed description of the elements of stage fright, and ways you can calm yourself and focus on your magic.

• Preface
• Stage fright and its impact
• Working the pressure meter
• Confront the...

Professionals lead with their credentials, achievements and endorsements. All stand on their skills and talent. But when the decision balances between several magicians the one who gets hired is the one with the strongest credentials. These endorsements validate the magician's performance, and reinforce the strength of their skills profile.

No one wakes up in the morning with a strong file of endorsements. They must be earned, one at a time. And, they will not fall on your doorstep by themselves. This text helps you get started with your credentials file. It will give you a solid foundation...

A method of transport and performance for pack small/play big with one trip to and from the car. Customize the interior of the trunk for your specific magic and use it while you perform.

1st edition 2019, 4 pages.

Professional, high quality performances use strong openings. Entertainers use everything at their disposal to insure their opening is one of the most impressive features of their show. They hold nothing back. Music, flash pots, fog machines, lights and other effects have been used to enhance the opening impact.

This text will cover the functions and objectives of the opening. It will identify the primary goals and provide suggestions to help you reach them.

• Opening Objectives
• Opening Tools
• Opening Announcements
• Sample Openings
• Plan Your Opening
• A Word About the Close
• Wrapping it...

Bringing on an assistant to work with you does not have to be expensive. But it does need to be planned out. From adding the employee, to work costumes and through performance this ebook sets the foundation to get started. Begin with the magic you already own and with increased marketing watch your shows evolve to larger venues/audiences.

• Selection
• Payroll
• Sources
• Appearance
• Performance
• After the Show
• Train Wreck Performance
• Wrapping it Up

1st edition 2016, 23 pages.

Clowns perform magic. The only difference is the size of the magic and the illusions themselves. I work both as a clown and a magician. I was asked to share some of the materials I use to teach new clowns. This ebook introduces three classic magic tricks, offers routines to get you started, and is illustrated to show the various manipulations. All items pack small, do not take up much space in your pocket and can be found at very reasonable prices.

• What makes magic work
• Introducing the classics
• Thumb tip
• Thumb tip routines
• Hot rod
• Hot rod routines
• Sponge balls
• Sponge ball routines ...

One of the most important elements of a performance. Without allowing time for the audience to comprehend the magician is doing nothing more than running through a series of instruction steps. Time adds drama, energy and the sizzle needed to enhance magic.

Timing is a hard subject to cover. One does not learn from books or lectures. Those sources, like this text, help identify the value of time. The magician must acquire his/her own skills with the use of time.

This text will help identify how it is used, provide examples you can relate to, and get you started. Armed with this knowledge...

A call comes in and their magician cancelled. They need a magic show in the next half hour. Can you be packed and ready to go? Maybe you are at an event and one of the sponsors comes up to you and says they need to fill a thirty-minute gap in their schedule. Are you ready to step on stage and go to work? The answer rests in what this text refers to as a tool box show. When the phone rings, if the money is right, all you need to do is grab your tool box and go to work. This ebook will help you take advantage of those "short notice" performance opportunities.

• Real world
• Tool box show purpose ...

Trade and themed shows take place all year long. If you have been to these types of shows you know people usually just stroll the aisle and only walk in when they want to pick up something free (candy), have an interest in the service/product or have questions. Vendors are turning to entertainment to help bring people into their display area.

The magician's job is to catch people's attention and draw them in. As you work with people, staff members will join the conversation. At one point, you pass them to the staff member. Then you move on and work at bringing more people into the vendor's...

Now for my next trick..... Ladies and gentlemen watch as I take this silk...... And now, right before your eyes I will...... For my next trick......

Announcing each and every trick you do during your show gets boring to the audience. Nothing makes you sound more generic then constant repetition. For that reason, magicians have come up with methods to create flow through their performance. The methods they use between their magic is referred to as transitions.

The three basic transition tools are: announce, lead and connect. This text identifies the three transitions and helps you use...

The pandemic has major impact on entertainment. Looking back through history the vaudeville style show was immensely popular. Magicians can tap into that type of production to get back in front of audiences once again. This text introduces and helps you plan a vaudeville style show. Want to get back to work in front of an audience? This may be the approach you need to help build your schedule.

• August 2020
• Key factors of pandemic
• Vaudeville
• Magic show production
• Booking
• Expanding
• Wrapping it up

There are things that need to be researched and many considerations to think about when setting your prices. This ebook is a basic guide to how to determine what you should be charging in your area.

• Do Your Homework
• Activities / Services
• Market Values
• Price Structure
• Comparisons
• Wrapping It Up

1st edition 2016, 10 pages.

From the Preface:

There is something special about a magician and clown working as a team. Many years ago Mark Wilson, his assistant Nani Darnel and a clown named Rebo brought the Magic Land of Alakazam to life. It was a smash television hit. This ebook identifies the benefits of a clown/magician team. It also helps identify the ways a performance can be produced.

• A Clown’s World
• A Magician’s World
• Working Together
• Individual Segments
• Working with Volunteers
• Wrapping it Up

1st edition 2017, 19 pages.

A primer for working with a partner. This text addresses such questions as: why work with a partner, what do look for in a magician you want to work with, documents that both partners need to consider, the basics of putting a performance together and other information.

• Why a partnership
• What to look for In partner
• The partner agreement
• Partnered performance
• Transitioning
• Accent the positive
• Wrapping it up

1st edition 2016, 21 pages.

Music is an element that can take a simple show and make it fantastic. This text will identify the various uses of music. I will go into detail on a simple "start up" system you can use. Sources for music will be identified as well as editing materials. A system you can control while on stage, using music that has been edited to fit your performance might already be near your fingertips.

• Uses of Music
• Legal Issues
• Emotion
• Getting Started
• Background
• Choreographed
• Looping and Editing
• Back Up
• Wrapping it Up

1st edition 2016, 22 pages.